Second Verse
by Lipton Lee
Summary: Occasionally, history can't help but repeat itself in some way, shape or form. Future. Lit. Character death and its aftermath. This story is ON HOLD.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Not mine. No money. Don't sue. A/N: Depressing. Again, clichéd, but I wanted to. Hope you enjoy!  
  
Second Verse  
  
"That should be the last of it."  
  
The trio stood in the living room. There were boxes everywhere. So many that they could hardly walk.  
  
Lorelei sighed and looked from one girl to the other.  
  
Stella, with her long, dark waves and cold blue eyes stood staring. Her expression was unreadable. The sixteen-year-old crossed her arms over her chest and sighed silently.  
  
Julia's big, brown six-year-old eyes held unshed tears. Her chestnut brown hair was in a long braid that was slightly messy. It had been a long day.  
  
"Okay, you guys," Lorelei said. "Uhm... Stella, you can have your mom's old room, and Julia, you can take the guest room upstairs, okay?"  
  
Julia nodded, and began to head for the stairs.  
  
Stella had other plans.  
  
"Going out."  
  
Lorelei stared as the teen walked to the front door, grabbing her leather jacket on the way.  
  
"Out where?"  
  
"Out, out."  
  
"It's late, Stella. Stay in."  
  
The door had already closed behind her as Lorelei's last words were spoken.  
  
Lorelei sighed. "Damn you, Jess," she muttered. She turned back to Julia, who was still standing on the stairs. "Come on, Babe. Let's get you ready for bed."  
  
******  
  
She sat down on the bridge pretzel style and lit a cigarette. She looked around, and blew some smoke out with a sigh. Her mother had raved about this bridge. About how many fights and conversations and kisses she'd had on the bridge. Her father had given a smirk, and informed her that it was his favorite place in the tiny town, because his Uncle Luke had shoved him into the lake. She had to smirk a little at the memory of the laugh her mother had let out, even though the woman had heard the story a million time over.  
  
That laugh was gone forever.  
  
She heard footsteps.  
  
"Oh. Wow. Hey, I'm sorry; I didn't think anyone else was here."  
  
Stella looked over and tilted her head. He was tall, about her age, wearing a down jacket over a green sweater and blue jeans. His brown hair was straight, and hung in his eyes ever-so-slightly.  
  
"No big deal," she replied, getting to her feet. "I didn't think people around here stayed out past nine."  
  
He smirked a little. "Well, we're a wild bunch, for sure... you new around here?"  
  
Stella nodded. "What was your first guess?" She took a drag off of her cigarette and blew out more smoke.  
  
"I'm Paul Forrester," he said, holding out his hand.  
  
She nodded at his hand. "Stella Mariano."  
  
"Those things will kill you, you know," he commented, eyeing the cigarette that she held effortlessly between her fingers.  
  
"Huh. You don't say."  
  
"So ah... why did your family move here?"  
  
She sighed. "My grandmother and uncle talked my dad into it."  
  
"Doesn't your mom get a say?" Paul asked, looking kind of confused.  
  
"Probably, except for that whole thing where she's dead."  
  
His eyes widened. "Whoa... hey, I-"  
  
She rolled her eyes and dropped her cigarette, stubbing it out with her shoe. "Whatever. I gotta go."  
  
He watched her walk off. "Hey... you gonna be in school after the break is over?"  
  
She shrugged, not turning to face him. "We shall see."  
  
******  
  
Jess walked slowly into his mother-in-law's house and sighed. Same as it ever was, only with boxes of his things. His things and his children's things. And Rory's things.  
  
Rory.  
  
God, Rory.  
  
This was all her fault.  
  
He sighed. "Lorelei?"  
  
"Upstairs," was her hissed whisper.  
  
He silently climbed the stairs, and found Lorelei standing in the doorway of the guest room. He stood next to her and peered in to see a curled up little ball of a person wrapped up in the bed.  
  
He scratched the back of his dark hair and sighed. "You just get her to sleep?"  
  
Lorelei nodded. "I think she might be faking, though."  
  
Jess nodded back, and turned to the older woman. "Where's Stella?"  
  
Lorelei rolled her eyes. "'Out,'" she quoted. "Do you enjoy having a clone?"  
  
He looked at his shoes guiltily. "She's grieving."  
  
"She's pushing people away," Lorelei replied. "She barely said anything the entire ride here. She's you all over."  
  
Jess sighed. "I'll talk to her in the morning."  
  
"Assuming that she's here."  
  
"She's got nowhere else to go, but Luke's," Jess pointed out shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "And there's no harm in that... shouldn't he be here by now, anyways?"  
  
Lorelei frowned. "He's... he's been kind of detached since..."  
  
"Yeah," he nodded.  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
Jess looked up at the little girl inside the room. She was sitting up in the bed, looking out at them blearily.  
  
"Go on in, old man," Lorelei said gently. "I'm gonna head to sleep."  
  
"I'm taking the couch?" Jess asked.  
  
"It's all yours," she replied. "See you in the morning."  
  
He nodded and walked into the bedroom. "Hey, Baby Girl."  
  
Julia looked up at him and sniffed. "Where've you been?"  
  
Jess sighed. "I was at work, and then I drove down here. You know that."  
  
"But you weren't here," he said, wiping her eyes. "What if... what if you never came back, like Mommy?"  
  
He stared at the little girl for a long moment before slowly taking a seat on the bed, and pulling his hands out of his jacket. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her.  
  
"But you stayed away so long," she said quietly.  
  
He stared at the girl in front of him, seeing little tiny pieces of Rory, and himself all wrapped up in one small package. She looked so sad. He'd do anything to take that away from her.  
  
He'd do anything to have Rory back.  
  
He pulled a novel out of his back pocket and played with it a little. "You wanna hear a story?"  
  
She nodded, and climbed out from under the lilac-colored comforter straight into his lap.  
  
He rested his chin gently on the top of her head, and opened up the book to the place he'd left off. He began to read. "'Call me Ishmael...'"  
  
*****  
  
"Stella! Wait up!"  
  
She slowed her pace, taking the cigarette out of her mouth as Luke jogged up next to her after locking up the diner.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "It's late."  
  
She shrugged.  
  
Luke sighed and gave her a look of disdain as she flicked some ash from the cigarette between her fingers. "Those things are bad for you, Stel."  
  
She gave him another shrug and took a drag off of the thin cancer stick.  
  
He sighed. "When did you guys get here?"  
  
"Tonight."  
  
"Does Lorelei know where you are?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Does your dad?"  
  
"He wasn't there when I left," she told him, her voice holding no emotion.  
  
Luke sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Are you... uh... how are you holding up?"  
  
"I'm standing," Stella replied.  
  
"See anything you like around here?"  
  
She could tell he was having a hard time keeping up conversation. "I found Mom and Dad's bridge."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Stella nodded.  
  
Luke nodded. "You headed back to your grandmother's house?"  
  
"I guess," she replied. "Dad's probably here by now."  
  
Luke nodded as they walked along.  
  
*****  
  
He sat on the couch after tucking Julia into bed. She'd fallen asleep in the middle of chapter two.  
  
'So, what now, Jess?' he thought. 'What now that the only woman you ever actually loved is six feet under, and you have two girls to finish raising? What now that Luke and Lorelei have talked you into moving all the way the hell back to shit town?'  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the front door opening. He turned to see Stella and Luke walk in. Luke, obviously trying to be quiet, and Stella, obviously not giving a damn who she did and didn't wake.  
  
Jess got up. "Hey."  
  
Stella gave him a nod, and headed off for her mother's old rooming, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Both Luke and Jess watched her go.  
  
"So, uh... they got everything here," Luke noticed, looking around at the boxes.  
  
Jess nodded. "Yeah. I gotta go through it all... figure out how to condense down."  
  
"You start looking for an apartment yet?"  
  
Jess nodded. "I've got a few prospects lined up."  
  
"And the book store?"  
  
"All mine," Jess replied. "I start up there tomorrow."  
  
Luke nodded. "Holding up?"  
  
"I'm standing."  
  
"That's exactly what Stella said."  
  
"Huh."  
  
"Funeral is this weekend."  
  
Jess glared. "I know, Luke. I helped Lorelei plan it, remember?"  
  
"Yeah... yeah, I know," Luke replied. He cleared his throat. "You ah... you gonna be okay on the couch?"  
  
"Slept on worse."  
  
Luke nodded. "She went to the bridge tonight." He watched Jess swallow hard at his words. Sore spot. "She's exactly like you."  
  
"I tried really hard to keep that from happening," Jess said quietly. "She was doing better... stayed home to help out...She went to class... she was a completely different person..."  
  
"Before Rory died."  
  
His eyes lowered to his shoes, and he said nothing.  
  
Luke squeezed his eyes shut. Damn. "Jess, I-"  
  
"It's late," Jess told him in a shaky tone. "I'm gonna go crash."  
  
Luke nodded. "Yeah. Me, too."  
  
*****  
  
"Hey, there. It's pretty late. Where've you been?"  
  
Paul looked up at his father as he walked through the front door. "Oh, I just went for a walk... Hey, Dad, did you know we've got new people in town?"  
  
Dean sighed. "Well, an old friend of mine recently passed away... the funeral is this weekend, so a lot of her family and friends are probably in town."  
  
"Well, see..." Paul sat across from his father at the kitchen table. "I met this girl tonight, and she said that her family was moving here."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Dean asked, smirking at him sixteen-year-old son. "What girl?"  
  
"Stella Mariano."  
  
Dean stared, shocked at his son. "Mariano?"  
  
Paul nodded. "Yeah. She's... well, she's kind of... interesting... like something out of a Salinger novel."  
  
Dean blinked. "Salinger?"  
  
Paul sighed. "Catcher in the Wry? Franny and Zooey...? He's an author, Dad."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Anyways," Paul went on. "She seemed... I don't know. Interesting."  
  
"Paul, I don't know if you should pursue hanging out with her," Dean warned. "Marianos aren't exactly the nicest, sanest, most kind-hearted of broods."  
  
Paul shrugged. "We'll see. I'm gonna go wash up and read a little before bed."  
  
Dean nodded, and sighed. 


	2. Second Verse 2

She walked into the living room and sat on her father's sleeping form, book in hand. "Did you really write all these notes?"  
  
If Jess Mariano had been anyone other than Jess Mariano, his daughter's weight on his legs would have startled him. Instead, it merely woke him up. He sat up a little on the couch, and squinted at her. "What?"  
  
Stella held up the old, yellowing copy of Ginsburg. "It's your handwriting in here."  
  
He sighed and rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. "What time is it?"  
  
"Seven-thirty."  
  
"What day is it?"  
  
"Saturday."  
  
Jess groaned. "It's today, isn't it?"  
  
"I am wearing all black."  
  
"You always wear all black."  
  
"That is beside the point," Stella replied, getting to her feet, book still in hand. "Grandma Lorelai has ordered me to wake you up. You have to get ready."  
  
At that moment, Lorelai came down the stairs, wearing a nice, black dress. Her graying brown hair lay in chunky curls around her gracefully aging face, and her high heels made soft clicks against the wooden floor. "Jess! Up!"  
  
"Lorelai. No."  
  
Luke walked down behind Lorelai, wearing a black suit, his remaining hair nicely combed. "Come on, Jess, get off the couch and get ready, we're gonna be late."  
  
Jess just sat there.  
  
Lorelai sighed. "Stella, go upstairs and help your sister with her hair."  
  
Stella rolled her eyes and climbed the stairs, her big, black combat boots making noise as she went.  
  
Lorelai stalked over to the couch, snatched Jess by his ear, and dragged him to his feet.  
  
"Ah... god... ow... Lorelai... get the hell off... ow..."  
  
Lorelai glared at him. "You get showered. And shaved. And dressed, and you meet us by the car, or I will take you over my knee and give you the worst spanking of your life."  
  
Jess smirked tiredly. "I don't know... Rory's were pretty top-notch."  
  
Lorelai growled. Literally growled. "GO!"  
  
Jess shook his head and passed Luke on the way to the bathroom. "How do you put up with her?"  
  
"The same way I put up with you," Luke muttered. "Get your ass moving, Jess."  
  
*****  
  
Stella wasn't even paying attention to what was going on around her. She was too busy reading the Ginsburg she'd found in her mother's old room.  
  
If her father had been paying attention, he would have been mad as hell, but his eyes were fixed straight ahead of him, staring off at nothing. His expression was unreadable, as the minister droned on and on.  
  
Stella only looked up from her book when her grandmother approached the front of the crowd, tears in her eyes.  
  
'Oh, please,' Stella thought, sitting back in her chair. 'This is ridiculous. This isn't what Mom wanted. Mom wanted a movie party for her funeral. With onion rings and coffee, and burgers, and- ... I'm really hungry.'  
  
It was then that she decided she was going to go and find something to eat. She got up right in the middle of her grandmother's eulogy and headed away from the gathered group.  
  
Jess leaned his head back and looked at the sky pleadingly. "God," he muttered. He whispered to Luke to watch Julia, and then slid out of his own chair and followed Stella.  
  
When they were far enough away from the funeral proceedings, Jess spoke up.  
  
"What the hell, Stella?"  
  
She turned, not surprised in the least bit to see him standing there, and shrugged. "I'm hungry."  
  
Jess blinked. "You... you're... you have got to be kidding me."  
  
She shook her head. "Nope. I'm hungry. I want something to eat, and that was getting old."  
  
"Getting old?" Jess shot. "This is your mother's funeral."  
  
"Yeah, and you didn't even wanna come," Stella accused. "You were perfectly content to lie on that god-damned couch and miss it, and you would have if Grandma and Uncle Luke hadn't dragged your ass out the door!"  
  
"I was wrong!" Jess cried. "It would have been wrong of me to miss it! And it's wrong of you right now! Now you march yourself back over there, and you sit through it!"  
  
"Are you even listening to yourself?" Stella asked. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am your father, and what I say goes."  
  
"Whatever happened to the democracy?" Stella snapped. "That die along with Mom?"  
  
"This is hard for everybody, Stella, not just you."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "This isn't what she wanted. This stupid funeral. This stupid town! All those people who barely knew her!" She paused and sniffed, and forced herself to hold back her tears. "She wanted movies and music. She wanted you to read something poetic, just because you hate poetry! She wanted there to be onion rings!"  
  
Jess stared at her.  
  
She looked as if she would break down. As if she would finally let tears fall. As if maybe she would run and throw her arms around him and just cry.  
  
Instead, she whirled around and stormed off, leaving her father to stare after her.  
  
******  
  
"She's your kid, Jess. You have to keep her under control."  
  
"I'm trying."  
  
"You let her walk off!" Lorelai cried.  
  
They were in heated argument in the apartment above the diner. Beneath them, the wake was in full swing, with the majority of the town's residents, along with other assorted characters who had known Rory.  
  
"Oh, like it would have been really great to bring her back to the funeral when she was ranting about onion rings. That would have gone over well."  
  
"Jess, you can't just let her have her way!"  
  
"How is she getting her way, Lorelai?!" Jess yelled. "Explain to me how she can possibly be getting her way when her mother was buried under six feet of dirt this morning!!"  
  
Lorelai stared for a moment, before bursting into tears, and rushing past him and out of the apartment.  
  
Jess stared after her and sighed.  
  
"And the award for most sensitive male goes to..."  
  
Jess turned. "Lane."  
  
Lane Rygalski gave him the most tired smile he'd ever seen on her. "Hey."  
  
Jess sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "I screwed up."  
  
"So I see," she replied. She walked up to him slowly and gave him a light hug. They'd never been too close, but she'd grown to tolerate, and eventually like him over the years. "I'm so sorry, Jess."  
  
He nodded and hugged her back, just as lightly. "Me, too."  
  
"I saw Julia downstairs," Lane said. "She's looking for you."  
  
Jess sighed. "She's barely let me out of her sight in the past three days."  
  
Lane sat down on the old couch and sighed, looking at the empty coffee table. The apartment had been cleared out almost completely when Luke had moved in with Lorelai. "She's six, and she just lost her mother."  
  
"And she's afraid she's going to lose me, too, I know," he nodded. "I just... This whole day has been a nightmare."  
  
Lane nodded. "It really has... if it's any consolation, I sent Sid to go look for Stella."  
  
Jess cracked a smirk and shook his head. "I still can't believe you named your son Sidney Vicious Rygalski."  
  
"Oh," Lane quipped, rolling her eyes. "And Stella Guinevere Mariano is any better?"  
  
"Rory was re-reading Streetcar Named Desire and I was re-reading Once and Future King. Sue us. At least her middle name is an actual name, if somewhat bizarre."  
  
She snorted.  
  
"And we named the other one normally," Jess went one. "Julia Lorelai... as opposed to Coltrane Davis."  
  
"They were great jazz musicians."  
  
"And junkies."  
  
Lane laughed a little. "Quit it."  
  
"Sorry." He sat down next to her and sighed. "...Weren't you guys supposed to tour until school started?"  
  
"We ended early for the funeral... I heard, and I just..." she sighed. "I miss her already."  
  
Jess nodded. "Yeah."  
  
*****  
  
She was kicked lightly from behind. She looked up and saw the smirking face of Sidney Rygalski. He wore a black dress shirt with a dark paid kilt. His brown hair was spiked carefully.  
  
"Hey, Sid."  
  
He sat down next to her on the bridge. "Got antsy, huh?"  
  
Stella shrugged. "Hungry." She glanced over at him. "Please tell me you're wearing your underwear beneath that thing."  
  
He nodded. "That, I am. I am, I am... so ah... I'm really sorry about Aunt Rory. I know you guys were close and all."  
  
She nodded and pulled a cigarette out.  
  
"Aw, Stel, do you gotta?" He asked, looking pained at the site of the cigarette.  
  
"I'll quit tomorrow."  
  
"You're mom hated those things."  
  
Stella rolled her eyes. "Well, she can't voice her opinion anymore, can she?"  
  
Sid flinched. "I... I guess not... sorry..."  
  
"Stop being sorry, you didn't kill her."  
  
"Wow... more people... Twice in the last twenty-four hours."  
  
They looked up to see Paul standing there.  
  
Sid rolled his eyes. "Forrester..."  
  
Paul raised a wary eyebrow. "Rygalski..."  
  
Stella didn't really notice them, as she lit her cigarette. "Hey, Paul."  
  
Paul nodded. "Hey, Stella."  
  
"You know him?" Sid asked his best friend.  
  
Stella shrugged. "We met last night. I was sitting. He was walking. It happens sometimes."  
  
Paul cleared his throat. "So ah... I'm really sorry about your mom, Stella."  
  
She nodded, and took a drag, blowing out some smoke.  
  
Silence overcame them, and all they could hear were the birds chirping.  
  
"Hey, Forrester," Sid snapped. "Three's a crowd."  
  
"It's a public place," Paul glared.  
  
Stella sighed and got to her feet. "Why don't I make this easy for both of you. I'll leave." With that, she walked off, leaving the two boys to stare after her, and then glare at each other. 


	3. Second Verse 3

Punkcatwittissues: Yep. Sid is supposed to look like Dave... and you made me laugh.  
  
In defense of my writing: It's been 21 years since the current season. And yes, Lorelai and Jess have never gotten along. But: 1. I'm taking creative license. And: 2. I think that this is a situation where they would find a way to get along. Would thirty-nine year old Jess do what he does in this chapter? I think he would.  
  
Thanks for all the great reviews!  
  
Fic!  
  
When Stella finally showed up at the diner, people were beginning to leave. She was grateful. She didn't want to deal with these people any more than she had to.  
  
"Stella!"  
  
She blew out a mild curse under her breath before turning to see her great grandmother make her way over to her.  
  
"Stella, where have you been?" Emily asked in her usual demanding tone.  
  
Not that Stella knew much about the woman in front of her. Sure, her mother had insisted on visits to the eldest Gilmore residents, and there were gatherings on holidays, but Stella didn't feel like she knew her great grandparents. Not like she knew her grandmother, or her Uncle Luke.  
  
"Well?" Emily demanded. "Where on earth have you been, young lady?"  
  
Stella merely shrugged. "Out."  
  
"Out where?" Emily asked, following the younger girl over to a tabled piled high with food.  
  
"Walking." She picked up a clean mug and filled it from a coffee pot.  
  
"How many cups of coffee have you had today?" Emily asked.  
  
"Not as many as I'd like," she replied, taking a sip.  
  
"Have you seen your grandmother?"  
  
"Not I, said the Stella."  
  
"She came downstairs looking awful,"  
  
"Dad probably shot off his mouth at her again," Stella commented dryly. "He's pretty good at that."  
  
"He's not the only one," Emily shot back. She became more real for a moment. "Stella, are you alright?"  
  
"Vitals are good. My eyes are open. My feet are planted firmly on the ground. All signs point to alive."  
  
Emily sighed. "That's not what I meant."  
  
Stella shrugged, and refilled her coffee cup.  
  
"Where is your father?" Emily asked. "Your Aunt Lane came downstairs ages ago, but he's pulled a disappearing act."  
  
"Just call him Houdini."  
  
"Why don't you go find him?"  
  
"Because usually when he feigns Houdini, he doesn't want to be found," Stella replied, pouring herself more coffee.  
  
"For heaven's sake, Stella! Stop drinking coffee!"  
  
"Do you realize what you ask of me?" Stella asked, her voice mockingly upset. "You ask the impossible. The unthinkable. I'm shocked."  
  
Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm going to find your grandfather."  
  
"Have lots of fun with that." She refilled her cup a little more, and then walked out of the diner again.  
  
"And so we meet again."  
  
She turned around, and saw Paul standing there. "Hi."  
  
"Hey. That's some party."  
  
"It's a wake," Stella replied. "I don't think it counts as a party."  
  
Paul shrugged. "We didn't get much of a chance to talk at the bridge... I didn't know you knew Sidney Rygalski."  
  
"He's my best friend," Stella replied. "I've known him my whole life. Our parents are close."  
  
"That's... that's cool."  
  
"You don't like him," Stella smirked.  
  
"He's kind of..."  
  
"Eccentric?"  
  
"I was going to say exasperating, but yours works, too," Paul smirked. "You know your way around town yet?"  
  
"What's to know?" Stella asked with an incredulous laugh. "I mean, hell, it's only got one stoplight."  
  
Paul smirked. "There's talk of putting up another one."  
  
"How exciting," Stella droned, taking a sip of coffee.  
  
They passed Doose's Market, where Taylor was already putting up a new sign in the window. He glanced over. "Hello, Paul."  
  
"Hey, Mr. Doose."  
  
"Who's your friend?"  
  
Paul smiled. "This is Stella Mariano. Stella, this is Mr. Doose. He owns the market, and runs the town meetings and stuff."  
  
Stella nodded to the older man, who glared at her a little. She wrinkled her nose. "What's your problem?" she asked pointedly.  
  
Taylor only made a soft snorting noise and rushed into his market.  
  
The teen gave each other confused looks and kept walking.  
  
*****  
  
The closer friends and family had moved themselves from the diner to Lorelai's house that evening.  
  
Lane smiled as she took a sip of her wine. She was sitting on Dave's lap, in a circle on the floor in the living room. She looked around at the faces sitting with her. Jess, whom she didn't' think she'd ever see sit on a floor. Zach and Brian, who were arguing, as usual, and Paris, who was rolling her eyes at the bass player and guitarist.  
  
They'd been throwing memories at each other for the past hour or so. Mostly of Rory. Remembering the good times helped. So did the wine, actually. Lane wasn't sure how many glasses she'd had, and she didn't care. The kids were off somewhere, but she trusted them enough to look out for one another. And this, after all, was Stars Hollow.  
  
"Remember the keg party?" Brian asked.  
  
Jess rolled his eyes. "Probably up there in the top ten worst nights of my life."  
  
"I didn't know you could fight like that, man," Zach commented. "I thought you were going to snap Dean's head off."  
  
"God, that's a great image, isn't it?" Jess smirked.  
  
"I puked my guts out that night," Lane commented.  
  
"Your own fault," Dave replied. "You're the one who got drunk."  
  
"Because of you."  
  
Dave looked baffled.  
  
"I thought you were about to dump me because what's-his-face was in love with more or... something!" Lane cried. "I don't remember!" She smiled. "Remember Vegas?" she asked, changing the subject.  
  
"What kind of question is that?" Jess quipped, taking a sip of wine. "Who could forget Vegas? You guys tied the knot there. I was best man. I don't even know why I was best man."  
  
"You were there," Dave replied. "It worked. Rory was the maid of honor."  
  
"And the minister was dressed as Shaft," Lane smiled.  
  
Paris rolled her eyes. "How classy."  
  
"It was all totally spontaneous," Lane told them.  
  
Dave rolled his eyes at his wife and kissed her cheek. "Who are you kidding? You'd been planning on marrying me in Vegas for years."  
  
Brian smirked. "I saw the video. It was some wedding."  
  
"Crazy," Jess added.  
  
"Not nearly as crazy as your wedding," Paris pointed out to him, draining her glass. "If I remember correctly, someone started a betting pool amongst the congregation concerning whether or not you would make it through the vows without running away like a frightened kitten."  
  
Jess glared. "I am not, nor have I ever been, a 'frightened kitten,'" he said. "Who started that pool anyways?"  
  
"I did," Lorelai said from behind him. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I want words with you in my kitchen."  
  
He nodded. "Be back," he told the gathered group, and got to his feet to follow Lorelai.  
  
******  
  
"Grandpa? Where do people go when they die?"  
  
Richard Gilmore cleared his throat as he looked down at his younger great granddaughter. The innocent six-year-old looked up at him from his knee, eyes questioning. He briefly thought that he was too old to be doing things like this, but those thoughts dissipated almost immediately. He shuddered to think what his grandson-in-law would tell the child.  
  
"Well... Julia... many people believe many different things about where people go when they pass on," he told her. "Your sister, I'm fairly certain, thinks that when people die, they don't go anywhere."  
  
"Oh," Julia frowned. "Is that true?"  
  
"No one knows for certain," Richard smiled. "But I don't like to think so."  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"I think your mother went to heaven," he told her. "I think that she is smiling down on us from the stars, thinking we're silly for being so sad."  
  
Julia nodded and seemed to accept this. "I like that."  
  
Richard smiled and looked up at the sky from the porch. "Good."  
  
"There you are!" Emily's voice snapped as she walked up to them. "I've been looking for you."  
  
Richard nodded. "Well, Emily, we are right here. Aren't we, Julia?"  
  
Julia nodded up at the older woman. "Grandpa says that Mommy went to heaven."  
  
"Well of course she did," Emily replied, looking slightly distraught. "Where else would she go?"  
  
"Valhalla!" Julia replied proudly.  
  
Richard let out a short, hearty laugh. "Where on earth did you get that?"  
  
"Daddy read me a book about it," Julia replied. "You drink a lot there."  
  
Emily rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Julia, isn't it past your bedtime?"  
  
"I don't want to sleep," she replied. "I want to look for Mommy in the sky."  
  
"It's getting very late, Julia," Richard pointed out. "Aren't you tired?"  
  
"I have to wait for Daddy," Julia replied. "He reads to me every night."  
  
Emily glanced into the window to see Jess and Lorelai standing in the kitchen. "Why don't Grandpa and I read to you tonight? Would you like that?"  
  
Julia considered for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay... but Daddy has to come up and say goodnight, too."  
  
"He will," Richard reassured her. He got up, and lifted her with him. "Come along, Julia. It's story time."  
  
*****  
  
Jess leaned against the counter and watched his mother-in-law fidget in front of him.  
  
"I..." Lorelai sighed. "I'm... sorry... about before... you're new at this whole single parent thing and... I shouldn't be telling you how to raise your kids."  
  
He nodded. "Uh... it's okay... I'm sorry, too... for what I said..."  
  
"I don't want Stella to end up like you were," she told him suddenly.  
  
He blinked for a moment. "Me either," Jess said. "But she's not me. She likes to think she could be, sometimes. She's better than that."  
  
She noticed his face take on a little anguish and self-disgust. "Jess..."  
  
"And maybe she smokes, and maybe she's got a bad temper, and maybe she bottles things up like I do, but she's not a bad kid like I was. We made sure..."  
  
Lorelai watched him shake slightly and turn to look out the window.  
  
"She misses Rory," he said quietly. "She's never lost anyone before... anyone really significant in her life, at least. She's angry, and she's scared, though she'd never admit that." He sighed. "I'm doing the best I can. But I've got to pick up my own pieces before I can help her with hers."  
  
Lorelai stood slightly shocked behind him "I think that's the most you've ever said to me in one talking-to in the twenty-one years I've known you."  
  
He sniffed almost inaudibly. "Huh."  
  
She saw his shoulders shake slightly. "Oh, Jess."  
  
"I uh... I need a cigarette."  
  
She could tell he was losing it. "I thought you quit."  
  
"I d-did."  
  
"Jess."  
  
He tried to storm out of the room, but she grabbed his arm before he could. She watched tears slide down from his eyes, and remember a time when she couldn't stand Jess Mariano. When the very sight of him made her blood boil and her teeth grind together; a time when she only tolerated him for her daughter's sake.  
  
She'd been furious when he'd left then showed up on their front porch over a year later. She'd been even more furious when Rory had taken him back. But he'd grown on her. Like a weed. He'd snuck under her radar and become apart of her family years before he and Rory were married.  
  
For all her criticisms, and teasing, for all her sarcastic remarks, Lorelai cared about Jess.  
  
It shocked her to no end how much it hurt to see him cry like this. It hurt to see him cry like it had hurt to see Rory cry.  
  
Lorelai took a step closer and wrapped motherly arms around him, bringing him into a gentle hug. He stiffened immediately, but she didn't let go. After a moment he relaxed a little and let out choked sighs and breaths as his tears dampened her shoulder. He made no move to hug her back.  
  
She shushed him gently, and wondered if Liz or Sasha had ever held him like this. She wondered if he had ever let them. Neither had made it to the funeral. Sasha and Jimmy because of the distance, and Liz was missing in action, which was nothing new.  
  
"I know," she said gently, feeling her own tears start to well up. "I miss her, too. But we're tough, you and me. We'll get through this."  
  
He nodded and pulled away quickly, mopping his eyes up and quickly with his shirt sleeves, shame and embarrassment written on his face.  
  
She offered him a small smirk. "Careful. That's how make-up smears."  
  
He sniffed a little and nodded. "Wouldn't want that."  
  
They stood in silence for a moment.  
  
"I'm gonna take a walk," he muttered.  
  
She nodded and watched him make his way to the kitchen door leading to the back porch.  
  
He stopped. "Lorelai?"  
  
"Don't worry," she said. "I won't tell anybody."  
  
He nodded. "I was gonna say... thank you." With that, he walked out.  
  
Lorelai sighed and turned to see Luke standing in the doorway. She jumped slightly. "Luke... how long have you been there?"  
  
He shook his head. "Doesn't matter." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her forehead. "You're the best mom ever."  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut as she began crying again. "I was," she choked out.  
  
*****  
  
"What do you see in Forrester?"  
  
Stella glanced sideways at Sid. "What do I what?"  
  
"What do you see in him?"  
  
Stella raised an eyebrow. "We're just hanging out."  
  
"He's a geek."  
  
"He's a nice geek."  
  
Sid shrugged. "He's stuck-up. He thinks he knows everything."  
  
"So do you."  
  
He smiled proudly. "I do know everything." He glanced at her. "Like I know you're still reeling from your mom's death."  
  
"Gee, that's a tough one, Sid."  
  
"I'm serious, Stel. When're you gonna start to act like she's gone."  
  
She didn't reply, only reached for the pack of cigarettes in her jacket pocket. 


	4. Second Verse 4

A/N: Catcher in the RYE: Guess what time it was when I wrote part one? IT WAS THREE IN THE MORNING!! WOOOOO! Which means that my typing skills resembled those of a five-year-old on a sugar high: AKA: no good. Excuse my typo!  
  
"Huh. It must be genetic." Jess sat down next to his daughter and lit a cigarette.  
  
She took a drag off of her own. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"It's a free bridge... wait, this is my bridge," he smirked at her. "What are you doing here?"  
  
She shrugged. "Just thinking. Sid had to get home. So did Paul."  
  
Jess blinked. "Who's Paul?"  
  
"A guy I met," Stella shrugged. "He's nice. He reads a lot."  
  
Jess nodded. "This guy have a last name, or does he have extreme delusions of Prince?"  
  
"Forrester."  
  
Jess gave this some thought, and then turned to her. "Forrester?"  
  
"Forrester."  
  
"Forrester?"  
  
"Is there an echo?" Stella asked. "Are you a parrot? Yes. Forrester."  
  
Jess tried not to laugh as he stubbed out his cigarette.  
  
"Hey... what's funny?"  
  
"Do you know his dad's name?"  
  
Stella blinked. "Mr. Forrester?"  
  
Jess shook his head and sighed, putting an arm around her and pulling her into a half hug. "You're more like your mother than anybody thinks, you know that?"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Huh. Maybe not."  
  
"Hey, Dad?"  
  
"Hey, Stel?"  
  
"Why did we move here?"  
  
"Because your old man is a wussy who got scared shitless and needed help."  
  
"I want to move back to New York."  
  
"Nope."  
  
Stella rolled her eyes and got to her feet. "We don't have to be here. We were doing fine in the city."  
  
He sighed and got to his feet as well. "I'm sorry that you think it sucks... in some ways it does suck... okay, it sucks in a lot of ways, but... we're here. We're here because I can't take care of you and your sister by myself. Not when you're attitude is driving me crazy, and not when Julia is having sudden separation anxiety attacks."  
  
Stella glared and shook her head. "This is crap. This town is crap, and this situation is crap, and if you expect me to just adjust to it then- "  
  
She didn't get a chance to finish. He'd pushed her off the bridge and into the lake.  
  
"Huh," Jess remarked, taking out another cigarette. "Luke was right... cathartic."  
  
*****  
  
"Jess! Why is your daughter soaked?!" Lorelai rushed over to the hall closet and rummaged through it, looking. "Luke?! Where did you put the towels?!"  
  
"In the bathroom closet up here!" Luke replied from upstairs.  
  
"They're no good to me up there!"  
  
"Tough!" He threw down a towel and she caught it. She rushed over and wrapped it around Stella, helping her to dry off with it.  
  
Luke walked down the stairs and gave both Jess and Stella a quizzical look.  
  
Jess shrugged. "Just trying the Luke Danes method of parenting on for size."  
  
Luke smirked getting his meaning. "Cathartic?"  
  
"You have no idea," Jess replied.  
  
Stella glared and stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Jess shook his head and walked into the kitchen to get something to drink.  
  
Luke followed him. "What's her problem?"  
  
"She wants to move back to the city."  
  
"Well, gee, doesn't that sound familiar?" Luke quipped.  
  
"Yeah but she doesn't wanna go back so she can drink a lot and steal things," Jess replied. "New York is her home."  
  
"It was yours, too," Luke pointed out.  
  
Jess shook his head. "Not the same. I didn't really think of it as home when I was her age... it was just better than here."  
  
"You ah... you holding up?"  
  
Jess nodded. "Yeah. It's just gonna be a big adjustment for the girls... being here..."  
  
"How's the Times column?" Luke asked.  
  
"Fine," the younger man replied, opening up a beer, and handing another to his uncle.  
  
"Thanks... and the book?"  
  
Jess gave another nod. "Coming along... Diner's good?"  
  
"Diner's good."  
  
"Good." Jess sighed as he finished up his beer quickly. "Julia okay?"  
  
"Richard and Emily have been up there for a while," Luke replied. "Reading, or something... She probably won't go to sleep until you make an appearance."  
  
Jess sighed. "This is getting out of hand."  
  
"She just lost her mother, Jess," Luke replied. "She scared."  
  
"Yeah," he nodded. "Frankly, so am I."  
  
*****  
  
"Why does the princess need to be saved?"  
  
"Because she can't get out of the tower on her own."  
  
"Why not?" Julia asked her grandfather from underneath her sheets. "Can't she climb out the window by herself? Can't she teach herself Kung-Fu and break down her door?"  
  
Richard sighed.  
  
"Rapunzel needs a better writer," Julia said sadly.  
  
"Once upon a time..." said a voice from the door. "There was a beautiful- but deadly girl named Rapunzel. One day, an evil enchantress tried to lock her in a tower, so Rapunzel kicked her butt. Then she went and found a very attractive suitor, picked him up, slung him over her shoulder, and they lived happily ever after."  
  
"See?" Julia giggled. "Daddy does it right." She flung her covers off and hopped out of bed to run to her father.  
  
Jess sighed and picked her up. "Hi."  
  
"Where were you?" Julia asked worriedly.  
  
"Walking around with your sister," Jess replied.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"It's late," he said. "You should be sleeping."  
  
"She wanted to wait for you," Richard said. "She was quite insistent."  
  
"Sounds about right," Jess nodded. He looked to Julia. "You being trouble?"  
  
She shook her head innocently.  
  
"Where's Emily?" Jess asked, walking over and plopping Julia back in bed.  
  
"She's waiting in the car," Richard sighed. "She's being irritable."  
  
Jess nodded and pulled the covers up over his daughter.  
  
Richard watched and sighed. "Julia, you are growing up so fast."  
  
"No, she's not," Jess muttered absently. "Did you brush your teeth?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Wash your face?"  
  
Again, she nodded.  
  
"Need the bathroom?"  
  
Julia considered, and then shook her head.  
  
Jess nodded. "Say goodnight to Grandpa Richard, and get some sleep. You're gonna help me unpack the shipment at the shop tomorrow."  
  
"Really?" Julia said excitedly. "I get to look at the new books?"  
  
Jess nodded.  
  
Julia leaned over and hugged Richard. "G'night, Grandpa."  
  
Richard smiled and hugged back gently. "Goodnight, Julia. Sleep well."  
  
Jess kissed his daughter on the forehead as Richard got to his feet.  
  
"G'night, Daddy."  
  
"Night, Little Girl."  
  
"Love you."  
  
Jess nodded as he turned out the light. "Me, too."  
  
Richard followed the younger man out into the hall and cleared his throat. "How are you?"  
  
"Fine," Jess replied, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets.  
  
"And Stella?"  
  
"Wet, but fine."  
  
Richard raised an eyebrow.  
  
Jess didn't acknowledge this. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, yes," Richard admitted. "Emily and I would like to have you and the girls for dinner this Friday."  
  
"Baked, broiled, or deep-fried?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Jess shook his head. "Go on."  
  
"Well... we wanted to discuss Stella's future."  
  
Jess blinked. "Huh."  
  
"Is that a yes, or a no on dinner?" Richard asked.  
  
"I'll talk to her about it," Jess replied. "I'll call you when we decide."  
  
Richard nodded. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Jess."  
  
He nodded and stood there.  
  
*****  
  
"It baffles the mind," Lorelai said, shaking her head as she sat down across from Luke in the kitchen. "One minute, he's bawling like he's three and the next, he's... Jess."  
  
Luke sighed. "He's embarrassed, Lorelai. He doesn't do the emotional break-down thing too often."  
  
She nodded and took a sip of her coffee.  
  
Jess walked in and sighed. "Is Stella still in her room?"  
  
Luke nodded. "I think so."  
  
Lorelai turned to look at him. "Feeling better?"  
  
Jess nodded. "I'm fine." He headed for Rory's old room.  
  
Lorelai watched him go, and Luke pulled her into a hug.  
  
******  
  
"Dad!" Stella called. "Our classic lit section is too big!"  
  
"Never," Jess replied, as he used his pocket knife to open up yet another box of books.  
  
"How did we wind up with this place anyways?" Stella asked as she stacked books by author.  
  
"Andrew left it to your mother," Jess explained. "And since your mother can't run it, it's up to me..." He sighed and looked around. "Where's Julia?"  
  
Stella looked around. "JULES!!"  
  
Jess squeezed his eyes shut. "Stella..."  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm in the back!" Julia called.  
  
Jess got up from his hunched position over his box and walked to the back of the store to find his daughter with a stack of books in front of her. "Aren't you supposed to be helping?"  
  
"I am," She replied. "I'm making sure these are readable."  
  
Jess sighed.  
  
Stella rolled her eyes again as she shelved.  
  
"Having fun?"  
  
She looked up and smirked. "Hi, Paul."  
  
"Hey," he replied, sliding a book off of the shelf next to the one she was filling. He began skimming through it. "It's pretty cool that your dad owns this place now."  
  
She shrugged. "Guess so."  
  
"Well, I think it's cool," he told her. "You read this?" He held up Jane Eyre.  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty good... I'm not the biggest Bronte fan, but to each their own."  
  
"What're you stacking?" he asked.  
  
"Dickens. Lots, and lots of Dickens."  
  
"You like Dickens?"  
  
Jess stopped as he walked back down the isles of shelves. He listened.  
  
"I adore Dickens," she replied, holding a copy of David Copperfield.  
  
"He's okay," Paul nodded.  
  
"Okay?"  
  
"Verbose."  
  
Stella rolled her eyes and kept shelving. "Beautifully so... and remember that he was paid by the word."  
  
He nodded. "Point."  
  
Stella smirked. "Who's your favorite?"  
  
"Uh," Paul sighed. "Tough call. I like a lot of different authors."  
  
"Me, too," she nodded. "Do you like Barrie?"  
  
"As in J.M?" Paul asked. "As in Peter Pan?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"I don't know... He's okay."  
  
"I love that book."  
  
"Why?" Paul asked. "It's nothing special. It's just a fairy tale."  
  
She nodded a little and kept shelving. "My mom used to read it to me when I was a kid."  
  
Paul stared at her. "Oh," he said softly. "That's..."  
  
"You wanna get outta here?" she asked suddenly.  
  
Jess flinched. Those words. So familiar. He shouldn't have been surprised. He sauntered up. "Hey."  
  
"Hey, Dad," Stella replied. "I think I'm gonna take a break."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Hi, Mr. Mariano," Paul said, holding out his hand. "I'm Paul."  
  
Jess nodded. "So I've heard." He turned to Stella. "Don't be too long. I still need your help. Your sister is too busy making sure the books are 'readable.'"  
  
Stella rolled her eyes. "Sure."  
  
"Be back soon?"  
  
"Yeah, Dad," she nodded.  
  
Jess gave Paul an once-over and shook his head with a sigh. "Have fun." He walked back over to the box he'd been unloading.  
  
Paul blinked as he followed Stella out of the shop. "What's with him?"  
  
"He's Jess Mariano," Stella smirked. "What isn't with him?"  
  
Paul looked a little confused for a moment, but only followed.  
  
*****  
  
When Stella got back to the shop an hour later, she found her father sitting behind the counter, reading.  
  
"I thought you said you'd be back soon."  
  
She shrugged and leaned on the counter. "I lied."  
  
Jess put down his book sighed. "Sid stopped by."  
  
"Cool. Can I go hunt him down?"  
  
Jess shrugged. "I guess."  
  
"Well, do you need my help here?"  
  
"Does it matter?"  
  
"Is that a guilt trip?"  
  
"Stop answering my questions with more questions," Jess said.  
  
"You started it."  
  
Jess gave her a warning look.  
  
She sighed. "Okay. I'll stay. Can I call Sid, though?"  
  
He nodded, and picked up the cordless phone. "Before you do, I have to ask you something?"  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"You wanna go to Friday dinner at Richard and Emily's?"  
  
"Sure. Gimme the phone."  
  
Jess nodded, and began dialing.  
  
"You said you were gonna give me the phone!"  
  
"I gotta make a call," Jess smirked.  
  
"Jerk."  
  
Jess laughed a little. "Hey, Emily, it's Jess..." 


End file.
